The Merchant's Tale
Folio 128v
1 of 26 folios
Ne late no clerke haue cause or diligence
10
To write of ȝowe a storie of suche merveile
As Crisi\l/de pacient & kinde
Lest chicheuache ȝowe swelowe in hire entre\i/le
Foloweþ her to & holdeþ no silence
Bot euer answer att þe countretaile
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Beþ nouht bedaffed for ȝoure innocence
Bot scharpely take on ȝowe þe gouernaile
Enpinteþ wele þis lesson in ȝoure mynde
For cōmune profite seþþe it maie availe
Þe Archewyues standeþ att þe fense
20
Seþ ȝe be stronge as is a grete Camaile
Ne suffreþ nouȝt þat men do ȝowe offence
And sclender wives & febel as in a bataile
Beþ egre as is a tigre ȝonde in . Inde
Ay clappeþ as a melle .I. ȝowe counseile
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Ne drede hem nouht . ne do hem no reuerence
For þouhe þi husbonde armed be in maile
Þe arwes of þi crabbed eloquence
Schal pers his breste & eke his aduentaile
In gelowsye .I. rede x eke þou him binde
30
And þou make him couche as doþe a qwaile
If þow bue faire þere folke bue in persence
Schew þou þi visage & þine aparaile
If þo be foule be fre of þi dispence
To gete þe frendes do aye þi trauayle
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Be ay of chier as liht as lef on lynde
And late him care & wepe & wringe & wayle .
Whilome þer was dwellinge in lumbardie
A worþi knyht þat borne was in Paue
In whiche he leued in grete prosperite
And .xl. ȝere a wifles man was he
5
And folowde aye his bodely delite
On wēmen was his hole appetite
As done þes foles þat bn seculere
And whan þat he was passed .lx. ȝere
Were it for holynes or for dotage
10
.I. can nouht seie but suche a grete corage
Had þis knyht to be a wedded man
Þat daie & nyht he doþ al þat he can
To aspie where he myht wedded be